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Girl may never walk again after freak diving accident

A Ballarat schoolgirl is facing life in a wheelchair after a freak accident during a school swimming lesson left her paralysed.

Twelve-year-old Milly Yeoman suffered severe neck and spinal cord injuries after she dived into a pool and broke her neck on November 1.

She was airlifted to the Royal Children’s Hospital and may never walk again.

“I just remember when I hit my head everything kind of stopped. Everything blanked out,” Milly told 7 News.

Milly Yeoman suffered severe neck and spinal cord injuries after she dived into a pool and broke her neck. Picture: Supplied
Milly Yeoman suffered severe neck and spinal cord injuries after she dived into a pool and broke her neck. Picture: Supplied

Now her shattered parents are coming to terms with the terrible reality their water baby is paralysed.

“She can only move her arms and her wrists, that’s all,” her dad Peter Yeoman told 7 News.

“She can’t move her fingers.”

Milly became paralysed and faces life in a wheelchair. Pictures: 7 News.
Milly became paralysed and faces life in a wheelchair. Pictures: 7 News.


The grade 6 student is remaining hopeful and making slow progress.

“I can pick up a ball and scratch my face,” Milly said.

The animal lover is spurred on by the prospect of being reunited with her two dogs.

She will spend Christmas in hospital with her family by her bedside and won't be well enough to return home until at least March next year.

Milly, an animal lover, is spurred on by the thought of being reunited with her two dogs. Picture: Supplied
Milly, an animal lover, is spurred on by the thought of being reunited with her two dogs. Picture: Supplied


Her mother remains in Melbourne to be with Milly, unable to work, while her father travels back and forth to the hospital most days.

They hope a GoFundMe crowdfunding campaign will help with the huge cost of caring for their daughter.

“We’re going to need a new car, obviously we have to buy a wheelchair, have to have modifications made to our house,” the girl's mother Rebecca O'Connor said.

The campaign has already reached more than $35,200 of the family's $40,000 goal and they are overwhelmed by the generosity of strangers who have chipped in.

“Thank you, just thank you so much. It’s really helped us,” Milly said.